Common Conditions

For Breast Cancer Survivors, Sexual Concerns May Last Years

Dec 05, 2017

For breast cancer survivors, sexual problems related to treatment may last for several years, according to a recent study in BMC Cancer.

Issues like low desire, poor body image, painful and less frequent intercourse, and difficulty with arousal and orgasms are common in women who have had breast cancer. Many women also experience depression and relationship conflict, which can contribute to sexual dysfunction and poor quality of life overall.

To learn more, a team of researchers from Austria asked 105 breast cancer survivors to complete a series of questionnaires that assessed their sexual health, feelings about body image, anxiety, depression, and menopausal status. For comparison, a group of 97 women without a history of breast cancer also completed the questionnaires. In both groups, the women’s average age was 49 years.